Joanna Tuffy (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
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59. To ask the Minister for Social Protection her Department's proposals regarding landlords who, when advertising properties to let, state in the advertisements that rent allowance is not accepted; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5259/15]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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61. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if she will extend the same support as is now available to local housing applicants in Dublin to local authority housing applicants in County Kildare who are living in private rental accommodation and who are unable to meet the market-related rent demands, having particular regard to the likelihood of accelerated homelessness in the absence of any action; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5282/15]

Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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95. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide, in tabular form and on a county basis, the total number of persons in receipt of rent supplement payment per annum from 2010 to 2014 and to date in 2015; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5417/15]

Kevin Humphreys (Dublin South East, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 59, 61 and 95 together.

The rent supplement scheme provides support to eligible people living in private rented accommodation whose means are insufficient to meet their accommodation costs and who do not have accommodation available to them from any other source. There are approximately 71,500 rent supplement recipients for which the Government has provided over €298 million for 2015. Rent supplement recipients by county from 2010 to 2014 are provided in the attached tabular statement.

I am acutely aware of the difficulties people are experiencing in maintaining affordable rented accommodation in areas of high demand in the current market, including areas of North Kildare. The Department has put measures in place to ensure that the housing needs of rent supplement customers throughout the country who are at risk of homelessness are addressed by providing for increased flexibility within the administration of the rent supplement scheme. Notices were circulated to all Community Welfare Service staff reminding them of their discretionary power to award, on a case by case basis, a supplement for rental purposes in such circumstances in July and December 2014. A National Framework has also been developed to ensure that appropriate supports continue to be provided throughout the country in a consistent manner. The Department continues to monitor the measures in place to ensure that the appropriate supports are in place for rent supplement recipients including the Interim Tenancy Sustainment Protocol operating in Dublin, which was extended to Cork city within the last week.

The Department is aware that some leading property websites ask potential landlords to indicate whether they will accept rent supplement tenancies. It is the Department’s expressed position that this practice should cease and the matter was raised with the leading websites. The Department is also engaging with the Department of Justice and Equality regarding this matter.

It open to any person who has been refused a private tenancy and who feels discriminated against on the basis of his or her gender, civil status, family status, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability, race and membership of the Travelling community to refer a discrimination complaint to the Equality Tribunal under the Equal Status Acts.

Tabular Statement – Rent Supplement Recipients by County End of 2010 - 2014